Comet Ison is racing toward the sun and getting brighter every day. The brightening comet could break apart at any time as the gravitational pull of the sun increases. If the comet does remain intact it will complete a tight loop around the sun on Thanksgiving Day and hurl back out through our solar system.

Over the next few days the comet will likely become visible with binoculars or even the naked eye in southeast sky during the predawn hours under clear skies. Currently it is passing very close to the bright star Spica, in the constellation Virgo. This bright star can help you find the comet.

If the comet survives it's solar fly by, Earth's northern hemisphere could get another view during December as it races away from the sun growing dimmer with time.

Comet ISON was discovered by Russian amateur astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. The comet's official designation is C/2012 S1 (ISON), with ISON standing for International Scientific Optical Network.

Comet ISON's plunge toward the sun started 10,000 years ago when it left a distant band of space rocks in the Oort cloud. After traveling millions of miles through the solar system, the comet is on track to pass within just 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the sun during its Thanksgiving Day fly by.

Search iTunes for "Comet Watch" for an iPhone/iPad App to help locate the comet.